Portuguese Fish Stew

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 pound linguica or chorizo sausage, sliced in chunks
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 handful fresh oregano, hand torn
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, sliced
• 3 quarts chicken broth
• 1 pound kale, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 dozen Littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 1/2 pound perch, cod, or bass fillets, skin and pin bones removed
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 Recipe Rustic Crusty bread, for serving, recipe follows

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy 4 to 6-quart pot over medium flame. Add the onions, garlic, and sausage; cook, stirring with wooden spoon, until the sausage renders out some of its fat and the onions are soft. Toss in the herbs and then the potatoes, stir that around for a minute to coat in the oil. Pour in the chicken broth and bring up to a simmer. Add the kale, season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the potatoes are nearly tender.

Uncover the pot and add the clams; simmer, covered, for 15 minutes until the clams open. Add the fish and continue to cook for another 3 to 5 minutes until the fish is cooked. Garnish with chopped parsley and drizzle with olive oil. Ladle the stew into shallow bowls and serve with Rustic Garlic Bread for dunking.

Rustic Garlic Bread:

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

4 fresh oregano sprigs, leaves stripped off the stem

4 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves stripped off the stem

1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large loaf country or Portuguese bread

Combine the garlic and herbs in a bowl. Pour in the oil, season with salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients together with a spoon. Cut a slit down the middle of the loaf of bread, pour the garlic oil into the pocket, pressing with the back of a spoon to get the flavors into the bread. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil. Roast the garlic bread on a grill or bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 5 minutes until the outside is nice and crusty. Hand tear into pieces for serving.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings